1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lay-in wireway, and in particular to an easy to assemble covered wireway.
2. Prior Art
Wireways are well known and used in a variety of industrial type environments. Wireways receive cables, wiring and other lines to protect them from air laden with dust and other harmful compounds that may damage the components if not protected. In some applications, it is absolutely necessary that the wireway be sealed and fluid-tight to protect the lines which are placed in the wireways. However, depending on the use and the environment, it is not always necessary to provide a fluid-tight sealed wireway. Some environments require covering the wiring, but other lines do not necessarily need a fluid-tight seal.
An example of a fluid-tight wireway is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,564. Although this wireway does an excellent job of providing a sealed conduit, it may require extensive assembly time in joining sections and installing the gaskets and other seals necessary to make the wireway fluid-tight. In addition to being more expensive and complicated, the on-site installation time and associated costs may render it a poor choice for some applications. As many installations may require a network of wireways covering great distances, the time and cost of such wireways may be substantial.
Wireways that may not provide the degree of sealing shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,564 are also known. However, such wireways typically include many bolts, screws or other mounting hardware to join individual sections together to create an extended wireway. The time and effort spent in joining the sections may be substantial. Moreover, the wireways typically include added mounting hardware for pivotally mounting the cover.
It can be seen then, that a new improved wireway system is needed. Such a system should provide for a simple design that provides protection from water in industrial and other environments. In addition, such a system should provide a relatively simple design with a minimum number of parts that is quickly and easily installed. Such a wireway should also provide a degree of flexibility for hingedly mounting the cover in a simple manner that allows for orienting the wireway in more than one position for either top loading or front loading. The present invention addresses these, as well as other problems commonly associated with covered lay-in wireways.